Cousin to Cousin
by animalsarepeopletoo
Summary: When Hiccup falls ill on a flight back to Berk with Snotlout, his cousin is forced to take care of the Dragon Conqueror. But can Snotlout really swallow his obstinate pride and save him? Time's running out, and the cousins must depend on each other if they want to survive... but Hiccup's only growing sicker, and things aren't looking good.
1. Part 1

"Snotlout! Are you even listening to a word I say?"

Hiccup's cousin rolled his eyes. "Geez - _relax_ , Hiccup. It's not like I'm hurting you by not listening to your stupid speech."

Hiccup face-palmed. His headache he had gotten from staying up all night was progressively getting worse.

"Snotlout, this is not a 'stupid speech'. I'm just trying to tell you what Dad told me to-"

"Yada yada yada," Snotlout interrupted, miming a talking mouth with his hand. "I know what to do. We get there, our dads have this grand feast thingy and we make a little announcement about how well we're doing at the Edge and everyone tells us how great we are - well, _I_ am, at least. Easy!"

Stoick the Vast and his brother Spitelout had called their sons to Berk. They were part of the chief's family, and were expected to sit in on this special tribal feast. The other Riders didn't have to come, and they needed someone to hold down the Edge, so their friends had stayed behind. Hiccup and Snotlout, however, could not skip this, so left Astrid in charge and departed about three hours ago for the long journey to Berk.

"It isn't _easy_ , Snotlout," said Hiccup. He swallowed, feeling slightly sick. Huh. That was odd... maybe there was a little turbulence that Hiccup hadn't noticed, and was making him feel ill. It didn't happen often, but maybe with his recent sleep deprivation and skipped meals, his stomach was a little messed up. Yes... it had to be. "We have to make our own speeches about Dragon's Edge - not just telling the island how we're doing. We're giving Berk a sort of preview of our island. It needs to be good."

Snotlout wasn't listening. He was doing loops with a grudgingly obeying Hookfang.

" _Snotlout_!"

The Viking paused Hookfang with a groan and turned back to Hiccup. "What?"

Hiccup suddenly felt very unwell and was unable to speak. He was nauseated, and the slight pounding in his skull ached his entire head. "I...," he began, then felt too sick to continue. It was all he could do not to throw up. Toothless seemed to realize something was wrong with his rider and rumbled in concern. Hiccup tried taking deep breaths, like he did when he used to be seasick. _In... and out... in... and out... guess I really should've gotten more than a few hours of sleep this week...  
_  
Meanwhile, Snotlout chattered aimlessly about how awesome he thought he was.

"You know, Hiccup," he said, smirking, "when I was only six years old, I got lost in the woods. Well - uh, actually, I wasn't lost... I just… couldn't find my way back. So I had to survive all alone. By myself. In a dark forest full of untamed dragons and poisonous plants. It was tough - but I survived."

Hiccup rubbed his temples. His nausea had relented a little since before and he found the strength to ask, "And how long exactly were you in there?"

Snotlout turned Hookfang away so Hiccup couldn't see his face. "Well... five hours."

"Five hours." Hiccup and Toothless shared a smile. "Wow, Snotlout, I guess I had underestimated you." He'd thought he'd only last for four.

His cousin flexed his muscles. "Finally, someone who appreciates my wits and survival skills. Dad didn't even _notice_ I was gone."

Sickness abruptly bloomed in Hiccup's stomach, twice as bad as before, and he doubled over on Toothless, panting. His dragon now knew that something was up with his rider and whined with concern. Snotlout, however, was none the wiser, too busy going on about how strong and brave he was to notice.

With Hiccup solely focusing on trying not to hurl, he couldn't control Toothless's tailfin. They dipped down in the sky a bit and were slammed to the side by the wind. Hiccup felt much worse after this, so that he lost control completely as his vision flickered to red, then black. Toothless shrieked as Hiccup's prosthetic and real leg went limp and they slid from the stirrups. The pair started to fall.

"And then, Dad said, 'Boy-o, I don't..." Hiccup - Hiccup, are you even listening?" Irritated, Snotlout turned to find nothing but empty air. He glowered. "Very funny, Hiccup! Hide from Snotlout, won't you? _Hilarious_..."

And then he heard the scream.

It was bone-chilling and made Snotlout's skin crawl. But that wasn't the only thing wrong about it.

The thing really off about this was that it was not a human scream - it was the shriek of a dragon. _Toothless_.

Snotlout looked down and gasped as he saw his cousin and his Night Fury free-falling. Snotlout wondered why Hiccup wasn't doing anything about it, and was startled to see that he appeared unconscious. Did he faint? His mind raced with questions. Well, there no time to figure out that - he had to save them.

"Hookfang, dive!" he commanded, pushing his dragon down to where Hiccup and Toothless were. He began to fret. Was Hookfang big enough to support all of them until they found somewhere to rest on? Well, he had to be. Or else Hiccup... well, he just hoped his dragon had the strength.

The Monstrous Nightmare roared and spread his claws to try and catch Toothless in his talons. Snotlout grunted as his cousin's dragon clutched onto them, his weight dragging Hookfang out of the sky. Hookfang flapped his wings desperately to gain altitude, which nearly shook Hiccup from Toothless's grasp. Luckily, the Night Fury caught Hiccup's shirt and yanked him back to safety. Snotlout's heart was pounding at the thought that Hiccup could've fallen to his death.

"Hookfang!" Snotlout screeched. "We need - to find land - can't hold - Toothless and Hiccup - much longer-"

Hookfang, for once, listened to his rider. Even from here, Snotlout could see the terror in his dragon's eyes as they searched for an island. This situation had spooked both of them. Hiccup had always seemed... well... invincible. From losing his leg in an epic dragon battle to getting kidnapped by Alvin and Dagur, he hadn't had it easy, but he'd always made it through. Seeing him so weak... helpless... well, to be honest, it unnerved Snotlout - not that he was _worried_ about Hiccup or anything, gods forbid. The sight was just weird, that was all. There was nothing more too it.

Snotlout grabbed Hiccup from Toothless's saddle and pulled him up next to him. He lightly slapped Hiccup's cheek, remembering something about that being a way to wake someone from unconsciousness.

Hiccup moaned at the movement, and Snotlout's brow furrowed. What was wrong with him? He'd been fine a minute ago... though he had caught him rubbing his head once or twice, and then leaning tiredly against Toothless before they left this morning... gods, had Hiccup tried to hide some hidden injury or illness or something? It was just like his cousin to do something like that...

"Hiccup?" he yelled over the wind. "Hiccup, can you hear me?"

The Dragon Rider's eyelids fluttered open. Snotlout noticed how blood-shot his eyes were. The kid really needed more sleep. He could also stand to gain a couple of pounds.

"Sn...?" groaned Hiccup. "To...thl...ss..."

"Toothless is safe," Snotlout reassured. "You just kind of... fainted, I guess. What happened?"

"I... vi..."

Hiccup's mumbles were cut off by Hookfang, who growled an alert. Snotlout looked up and was relieved to see a tiny island nearing. They could land there while Hiccup recovered from whatever he was enduring. To add to the stress, Toothless's extra weight made them dip and nearly skim the water.

"Good job, Hookfang!" Snotlout said. "Let's head there. Hiccup? Try and stay awake, for now alright?"

"Mm..."

A few minutes later, they crashed down on the sand - and it was good because Toothless was half-submerged in the ocean by now.

Snotlout hopped off Hookfang the moment they touched land. Hiccup slumped forward without his cousin to support him, but Snotlout caught him just before and let him lean against him. It was obvious he'd fall on his own.

"S...ry," Hiccup slurred.

Though Hiccup barely weighed anything, Snotlout rolled his eyes like holding him up was a huge burden. "You owe me, dragon boy. Big time."

Was it just his imagination, or did Hiccup smile? Before he could figure it out, Toothless ran up to the two boys, cooing in concern for his rider. "Hiccup's fine now, Toothless," Snotlout told him. "You don't need to-"

Toothless cut him off with a growl and a Night Fury death glare.

Snotlout held one hand up in surrender - the other was supporting Hiccup. "Fine! He's not okay!" He sighed, looking around. "Let's go find a place to... to figure things out."

At that moment, Hiccup gasped out and leaned forward. Snotlout knew what was coming next. Hiccup vomited onto the ground a few seconds later, and Snotlout was soon fully holding him up as Hiccup breathed heavily, hunched over. Dribbles of sweat rolled down his temples, and he was shivering. His cousin held to his arm a little more tightly, wanting to give some assistance but not knowing what do.

"Better?" Snotlout asked.

Hiccup nodded, though his eyes were closed and his skin was a pale green.

"Okay. Let's go find some place to rest, alright?"

What was that in his voice? _Comfort?_ No, no, it couldn't be - he didn't care whether Hiccup was comfortable or not... but he sounded awfully concerned right then, and he was scared of that. He didn't care... he _didn't_...

At Toothless's rumble, the four came into the brush. This island was pretty rocky - there were lots of caves built into cliffs and boulders lying around. Snotlout eventually stopped and had Hiccup sit on a rock to recover for a little bit. He managed to sit up, though he still looked ill.

Snotlout paced in front of him. He wasn't exactly worried... it was a more of an unconscious habit. He felt like he was about to lose his mind as he thought about what happened.

Unable to handle it all, and needing some consolation that _he didn't care about Hiccup,_ because yeah, he _really didn't_ , he snorted into his fist, a grin breaking through. "I can't believe you _fainted…_ 'the great Dragon Conqueror' passes out right on his dragon! Heheh… wait till I tell Astrid… whatever she thinks she has for you will disappear... _fainted..._ " There it was. _That_ sounded more like him. He relaxed. Of course he wasn't worried about his cousin. He _wasn't_ , and he wasn't going to let anymore _concern_ seep into his voice again, either. "I'm much more manly, aren't I? Aren't I?"

He turned to look at Hiccup, and was surprised to find him not on the rock, but curled up in a ball on the ground. He was panting like he had just narrowly escaped death or something. Toothless was whining above him, distressed at the boy's state.

"Woah, Hiccup," said Snotlout, taking a step forward. "Are you...?" No. No, no, no, _stop_ \- he was _not_ going to ask if he was _okay..._

"Mm... ff...ne...," Hiccup groaned.

Snotlout crossed his arms. "Mhm. And the _world_ is _round_. Come on, Hiccup, admit it; you're sick."

Hiccup's eyes cracked open. "No... m'not..."

"Hiccup..." Oh, he was arguing with him now? If he said he wasn't sick, then why should he press? Stupid, stupid...

Hiccup tried to push himself to a sitting position, but his arms were too weak at the moment and he collapsed back down. "F...ine...," he huffed in defeat. "I f...eel little sick..."

Snotlout rolled his eyes, but at least Hiccup had admitted that much.

It suddenly struck him that whatever Hiccup had may be... serious. Even if Hiccup had just been _shot_ , for Thor's sake, he tried to hide his pain. He didn't want anyone to worry or think he was weak. No. He'd had enough of that for a lifetime. If Hiccup was admitting he was hurting now...

Toothless grunted, motioning his head from Hiccup to his back. Snotlout understood after a moment. The Night Fury wanted his rider to sit on him.

"You sure, Toothless?" said Snotlout, doubting whether Hiccup could hold on while they searched for a place to stop. "Hiccup may fall..."

Wait. Since when did he care about Hiccup? Never, that's when… Hiccup could go on Toothless. Who cared if he fell? _He_ certainly didn't. Let him fall, it'd be _fun_ to watch... Still, Snotlout felt a twinge of regret as he loaded Hiccup onto his dragon's saddle. Hiccup gave a weak smile and scratched Toothless's head, earning a satisfied moan in return.

The group continued on through the trees until Snotlout found a grassy spot that would be good to rest on and where the dragons could find food. Toothless grudgingly let Snotlout take Hiccup from his back.

Snotlout set his cousin in the grass, trying to ignore the painful sigh Hiccup emitted, followed by a groan. Hiccup would be _fine_! He always was.

He had to be.

"So…," Snotlout said, wringing his hands. "Taking care of a sick person. Alright, Snotlout, let's do this... first step... diagnosis? Er... what are Hiccup's symptoms?"

He leaned over and placed his palm on Hiccup's forehead. Cringing, he pulled back. Hiccup felt as hot as a fireworm, and he could safely say that, because he'd had the misfortune of touching one before. Well, maybe not _that_ hot, but still - Hiccup was burning up. Also, he was shivering as if he was cold, but Snotlout didn't want to risk bringing his temperature higher than it already was by giving him a blanket.

"He has a fever," Snotlout announced. "And als-"

Hiccup suddenly bolted up, his cheeks bulging. He barely managed to swivel his head to the side in time for him to throw up once more. Then, exhausted from the effort, he fell back down, nearly unconscious again. Toothless rumbled and licked his rider's sweaty forehead.

Snotlout's eyebrows pinched together. He didn't want to say it, but...

"Hiccup's sick," he said to Hookfang and Toothless, who watched him with interest. "And I... I don't know how to help."

Toothless whined once more and laid down by Hiccup's side.

None of them were healers. None of them knew how to help Hiccup, or had any medicine. And none of them knew if what Hiccup had was just a passing sickness... or something much more sinister.

Snotlout swiped his brow. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

For the rest of the afternoon, Snotlout played doctor. While the dragons ran and fetched buckets of water (they had brought along some for the trip to Berk), Snotlout tried to bring down Hiccup's fever with no avail. He tried everything from fanning his cousin to washing his forehead with a small towel dipped in water. Then, he removed Hiccup's vest to a light undershirt to let the body exert more heat at a quicker pace. Nothing worked.

Snotlout was getting stressed out. If he couldn't break the high fever Hiccup had now, his cousin would die within a few days. And if Hiccup died... Snotlout shuddered. No, he couldn't think about that... because for one, it was a horrible thought... and two - wait. No. He wouldn't care if Hiccup died, that was right. The only reason he was helping his cousin was because... because... because Astrid would kill him. Yeah. That was it. And the world still needed the Snot-man!

By the time it was evening, Hiccup had thrown up twice more. Snotlout was getting concerned. The boy really didn't need to lose anymore weight. He grew even more uneasy when Hiccup refused to eat anything. They both knew it would come back up a minute later, but Hiccup needed some energy.

Night fell, and Hookfang started a small fire for Snotlout and to sit by. Hiccup was kept far away from it, not needing to be any warmer than he already was. Toothless slept next to him, and Snotlout doubted he even closed his eyes that night, but he eventually fell asleep a few yards away from Hiccup. He woke a few times in the night to make sure he was doing okay, and in the end only got a few hours of shut-eye.

The sun yawned over the horizon, letting the world know that another day was starting. For Snotlout, though, it still seemed to be yesterday. One, long, terrible nightmare.

Hookfang went and caught a few fish for them to eat while Snotlout and Toothless stayed with Hiccup. The Night Fury never left Hiccup's side all the time, save to get more water, and was whining softly in hopes that Hiccup would wake. But the greatest signs of life Hiccup gave were feverish murmurs. Snotlout caught a few of them...

"No, no... m'fine... don't... no... Astr... Sn...tl...t..."

Snotlout flinched at that. Was Hiccup asking for him? But Hiccup never stayed on the topic too long, so it was hard to tell.

Hookfang came back with a bucket of fish later on, but no one was really hungry. Snotlout cooked a salmon over Toothless's fire on a stick. His face was grave as he stared into the flames.

"Hookfang," said Snotlout quietly. The Nightmare looked up, curious at the sudden serious tone of his usually arrogant rider. "I'm worried. I'm worried that Hiccup... that Hiccup's not going to make it. He's not doing any better, and it's been almost a full day. I think Hiccup's sick - really sick. I need you... Hookfang, I need you to go get help. I can't leave Hiccup here alone, and Toothless can't fly. You're the only one who can help."

His dragon snorted out a puff of smoke. Well, _this_ was new.

Snotlout threw his stick into the fire and stood. "Hookfang! Can't you see that my cousin is _dying_?"

Hookfang rumbled in disagreement.

"Well - maybe not _dying_ , but he's still very sick! I ask you to do things a lot, I admit, and some of them are really stupid. But this isn't! Hiccup has to live, Hooky. Listen to me just this one-"

But Hookfang had already spread his wings and taken off into the clouds. Snotlout watched him go, some resentment and some disappointment writhing inside of him. Hookfang hadn't even rumbled a goodbye.

Well, _good_. Stupid dragon. It was better that way. He had disappeared quicker, and therefore would get help in less time. Yeah... stupid dragon... and stupid _feelings_ , too. He hadn't thought he'd had any until this point, but time was proving otherwise.

"Sn... Sno... t...ll...?" Hiccup moaned from his spot.

Snotlout tensed and came over to him. He was glad to see Hiccup had finally woken, but from his flickering eyelids, he could tell that it wouldn't last long. "What now, dragon boy? More water? Are you too hot?" Just because he let Hookfang know his concerns for the kid didn't mean he'd let the actual subject of his worry know.

Hiccup shook his head slightly, though it was hard to tell from the was he was trembling. "N-no... I wan... I wanted t... ask you someth... an' tell me the truth... kay?"

"Ask me something? Fine. What?"

Hiccup's bleary eyes met Snotlout's, and even through his slurs, his inquiry was dead clear:

"Am I going to die?"

Snotlout blinked, shocked that Hiccup would ask that.

"No!" he scoffed, though even _he_ knew he didn't sound convincing. For some reason, he found it very difficult to lie to someone who looked like he was about to kick the bucket. "C'mon. After training the most deadliest dragon in the world-" Toothless's ears perked up "-you ask if some little stomach bug will be the thing to kill you?" He even gave a little laugh, like, _w_ _ell, that was a stupid question_ , though he found himself wondering the answer as well. "No way. You are _way_ too stubborn for that."

Hiccup seemed to doubt his reply, but he drifted back to his febrile sleep. Snotlout bit his lip and sat back on his heels. Did Hiccup really feel that awful to ask something like that?

 _Hookfang_ , he thought. _Please hurry._ Please. _Hiccup can't die._

 _He just can't._

* * *

 **I hope you guys like this so far! Part two will be up in a few hours, but since isn't working right, make sure to check for the new update later on.**

 **Thanks for reading, and drop a review if you liked! :-)**


	2. Part 2

_Snap._

A twig cracked in the forest, making Snotlout jump. He was nibbling on a haddock, since he hadn't aten breakfast nor a suitable lunch. By now, he was getting sick of fish, but it was the sort of thing a Viking had to get used to.

Toothless was on high alert, his nerves frayed. He growled at any little sound that didn't make its presence known and even snapped at Snotlout a couple of times. Well, that wasn't exactly a new thing- but the dragon did it more than usual.

 _Snap.  
_  
There was that sound again. What was it? Maybe just Snotlout's imagination? His nerves somehow playing tricks on him? But, no, Toothless heard it, too. And when it happened a third time, the Night Fury and the boy nodded at each other in decision. They'd check it out.

Slowly, Snotlout stood from the ground. Toothless followed suit, snarling, and his pupils shrunk to slits.

The brush rustled again. Snotlout's eyes narrowed, and he cracked his knuckles. He was ready for a battle.

And then, with a final twitch, something jumped out.

Snotlout screamed, Toothless shot a plasma blast, and Hiccup stirred in surprise.

After a panicked minute, they checked to see what it was.

It was...

...a bunny.

Snotlout managed to calm himself down. He even put his hands on his hips and raised his eyebrows at Toothless. "S-see?" he panted. "Nothin'... nothing to worry about. You're getting too worked up, T. Go back and stare at Hiccup or something."

Still, Toothless didn't relax.

The bushes quivered a moment later, and Snotlout froze.

"I thought the bunny was gone...," he said, turning back to the sound. Toothless opened his mouth, a plasma blast burning blue in his throat.

Suddenly, a giant beast emerged, this one much larger than than a mere rabbit. It was a wild Deadly Nadder- and to makes matters worse, it had scars all over it. Snotlout was reminded of the time when Fishlegs had been kidnapped by a flock of wild dragons that had the same kind of scars on them as this one. And they had been hard to gain trust from. Snotlout prayed to the gods that this Nadder wasn't a Dragon Hunter victim, but from the way it was looking at them, it probably was. Of course it was. They _had_ to stop on an island like this.

The Nadder screeched and shifted on its feet, its eyes beady in preparation for attack.

Snotlout and Toothless gave each other a brief look, in silent agreement to scare this guy off.

"Hey!" Snotlout shouted, standing in front of the Nadder and waving his arms. Toothless sneaked around behind him while the Rider distracted the other dragon. "What are you doing out here? This is _our_ spot! Not yours!"

Now, even Snotlout knew provoking an abused dragon was risky, but he had to get its attention solely on him. And it was working. Toothless went unnoticed as he darted around the pair and readied a warning plasma blast.

But the plan was working a little _too_ well. The Nadder was now enraged and jumped forward, Snotlout barely avoiding being sliced to pieces.

"Woah, woah, woah!" cried Snotlout. "That was way too clo-"

He didn't have time to finish, for the Nadder was chasing him around his camp. A sense of _deja vu_ washed over him, and he remembered the time in Dragon Training when he was trying to escape a Nadder. He had got blasted out, and lost. Not a huge deal... however, this time it was either you won or you died. As the Berkians said, "Death or Glory!" He _couldn't_ lose this time.

Snotlout eventually had to run by Hiccup to escape the Nadder's wrath. As the dragon also passed by, it skidded to stop, sniffing the air. It seemed to be interested in something... or rather, someone...

He realized it all too late.

The Nadder smelled weakness. Disease. An easy kill.

Hiccup.

The Nadder let out an interested squawk and looked down. It seemed pleased to see a human on the ground, defenseless and just waiting to die. Its tail swiped the air and it leaned down to tear Hiccup apart.

" _NOOOOOOO_!"

What was that sound? With a start, he realized it was _him_. Snotlout Jorgenson. His cry felt like it was being ripped from his chest, it was so loud. So full of anger and condemnation.

Hiccup _couldn't_ die.

He was his cousin.

And no matter what, family looked out for each other. So that's what he'd do.

Snotlout rushed forward and rammed into the Nadder right before it attacked. It shrieked and fell over. Snotlout was sprawled out on top of it. Disoriented from the impact, he wasn't able to get off of the dragon in time...

A moment later, it slashed its spiky tail across Snotlout's right leg, and he screamed at the pain. Hiccup awoke a little at the sound of agony, and Snotlout heard him moan, "No... Sno...out... do..n.. hur... him..."

Snotlout fell off the Nadder in his discomfort, and the dragon immediately climbed to its feet. Now, it was _furious_ with him. Snotlout knew the inexorable truth: he was a goner.

A million thoughts raced through his head. Thoughts of his family, friends, the Riders... even Hiccup. Would Hiccup ever know that Snotlout didn't hate him as much as he let on? Probably not. Because he'd never tell _anyone_ that. He might die in the end- but his pride woils live on.

But before the Nadder could do anymore damage, Snotlout heard a roar, and recognized it as Toothless's plasma blast. The Night Fury had saved him.

Frightened, the Nadder recoiled back. It wasn't a stupid thing to do. Night Furies were very dangerous; you didn't want to trifle with one.

It looked back down at Snotlout's prostrate figure, screeched, then flew away into the night. Snotlout let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Toothless stared down at him, then rumbled in question. He knew Snotlout was hurt, and to the boy's surprise, was concerned.

"I'm..." He winced, trying to get up, and somehow managed to. "I'm okay... it's not deep, just a scratch..." Normally, if he'd been hurt, he'd've been whining about it, wanting sympathy. But he couldn't afford to be weak now. His cousin needed him. Even a fool could tell who was in the worse state.

He crawled over to Hiccup and checked his forehead. Snotlout grimaced. He was a little warmer than before.

The facts were all there, leading up to one final conclusion...

The Dragon Conqueror was getting worse.

Toothless sat down by his rider's side. He yearned to help, but didn't know how.

Meanwhile, Snotlout dressed his wound, groaning at each time he touched the injury. He was right, though; the Nadder's last mark was shallow, and it wouldn't scar. Still, he had to put minimal weight on his right foot.

"Hey, Toothless," said Snotlout, scooting up to the Night Fury. "How is he?"

Toothless whimpered, then licked Hiccup's limp arm.

Snotlout sighed. "Not good, huh?" He glanced at Hiccup. "Cuz, you've gotta wake up. Look... Even though we'll always despise each other... we'll always be cousins, too. And family doesn't leave one another. Not until... until it's time. And, dragon boy, your time hasn't come yet. Plus, Astrid would cut me up with her axe if I let you die. The chief would, too- even though he doesn't always say it, everyone knows he cares a lot for you. Berk will have lost its greatest dragon rider if you let some petty little sickness kill you. See? All of those reasons. You have to live, Hiccup. Everyone is depending on you... including... including me."

His speech was done. Toothless had been listening with pricked up ears the entire time. Snotlout tried to avoid the dragon's gaze. Because underneath his mask of pride and suave, Snotlout actually cared for his cousin.

And _no one_ could know that. _Ever._ He shuddered to think about if anyone found out about his true thoughts and feelings... that Snotlout could be pretty soft.

Snotlout's leg was hurting, and his eyes were drooping. It was time to get some rest, he knew. So he pulled up his single blanket and rolled over to his back. Exhausted, he fell asleep watching the night stars rotate above.

* * *

Snotlout woke up about an hour after the sun had rose. He cursed himself for not checking on Hiccup during the night and turned to glance at his cousin.

He gasped.

Hiccup was no longer shivering, and his lips were parted in a silent breath. Though he was very pale, he looked almost peaceful. Snotlout gaped, trying to erase the sickening jolt of horror than ran through him.

Was Hiccup...

Hiccup… he...

He dragged himself over, making Toothless stir. No, no, no, it couldn't be... Hiccup just couldn't...

Snotlout hurriedly checked Hiccup's neck for a pulse.

And then he found one, strong and stubborn. He could hardly believe it, his mind tight with confusion of the sudden turn of events. Hiccup was alive!

He then moved his hand to the Rider's forehead. A smile choked him. The fever had broke! Hiccup's sickness had passed!

Toothless whined, curious at why Snotlout was acting so... odd.

Snotlout grinned at the Night Fury. "Hiccup! His fever's gone, and he's not shaking anymore. He's going to be alright..."

Toothless's tail thumped and he clambered to his feet, dancing around. Snotlout couldn't help but laugh. He was just so relieved. Hiccup was alive!

A few minutes later, Hiccup grunted. His eyelashes fluttered, then opened. They didn't close again. Snotlout had been sitting by him, waiting for the boy to wake.

"Oh, you're up," said Snotlout casually, like he didn't care that Hiccup was awake at last. "I was beginning to think you'd sleep forever.

Hiccup looked confused and squinted around. "Snotlout…? I... I feel sort of weird… like I've had a really long dream…" His eyes widened. "Where's Toothless?"

He was responded by his Night Fury bounding up and licking him all over his face. Hiccup groaned and laughed, trying to push the dragon away. Snotlout watched them in a quiet envy. Their bond came so easily. Why was he and Hookfang's so strained at times?

"What…," Hiccup grunted, trying to sit up. He succeeded and laid his back against a rock. "What happened?"

Snotlout filled him in on the past few days' events, how Hiccup had pretty much fainted, how they landed on the island, Snotlout sending Hookfang for help, and the Nadder attack. Hiccup was most surprised at the fact that Snotlout had injured himself in order to save Hiccup.

"How's your leg?" he croaked.

Snotlout shrugged. In the euphoria of Hiccup not being dead, he had kind of forgotten about it. But the pain was coming back. "Not too bad. Now, want to head down to the shore? Toothless and Hookfang found a spring around that area. We can get some water and wash up there."

Hiccup nodded, and Snotlout helped him to his feet. Hiccup was considerably lighter than the first time Snotlout had carried him, and still weak. Snotlout tried to balance him, and Hiccup helped Snotlout walk without hurting his maimed foot further. He had had a lot of practice, after all.

Snotlout and Hiccup supported each other as they walked to the beach, Hiccup trying not to wince at every move. Toothless trotted beside him. Truth be told, Hiccup was half-expecting Snotlout to just let him go, but, no, his cousin held strong to him.

"Alright, cuz, we're here," said Snotlout, looking around. "Let's sit down while we… wait, what's that?"

The boy held up a finger and pointed to the horizon, where indistinct black smudges were coming over. Hiccup squinted, trying to make them out.

"It almost looks like…," he began. "No… it couldn't be…"

"Wait?" Snotlout demanded.

Hiccup cocked his head, unsure of whether his eyes were playing tricks on him.

"It almost looks like… like my father's ships."

Hiccup had spent years watching as distant boats disappeared to find the Dragon Nest. He had grown used to the Hooligan sails and the way their ships were built. These vessels… they matched his memory perfectly.

"Stoick?" cried Snotlout. "But I thought… Hookfang, you were supposed to go back to the Edge! Not get Berk's entire armada."

Hiccup grinned as the Nightmare's crimson figure came into view. He was leading the ships to them. They'd soon be helped…

"Snotlout?" said Hiccup, glancing at him.

The Rider looked back. "What?"

Hiccup sighed. "Thank you. For taking care of me when I was ill… for protecting me from that dragon. I'd be dead if it weren't for you."

Snotlout was stunned. The great and almighty Dragon Conqueror was thanking him? _Hiccup_ was thanking him? He tried to regain his composure.

"Eh," he grunted, shrugging. "Cousin to cousin, the chief would've killed me if I let you die. So, I didn't really have a choice."

Hiccup smirked. "I think you did."

"Did not."

"Did too."

"Did not!"

Hiccup let out a weak laugh, surprising Snotlout further. "Alright, alright, you didn't have a choice." His voice grew serious. "But, Snotlout, I'm not teasing you. I truly am thankful."

Snotlout's tight expression loosened. "I… well, you always need saving, dragon boy. I was just unlucky enough to be the one to take care of you. By the way, when you get back to normal, you owe me. Big time."

Hiccup, amused, smiled. "Sure."

And then they faced the horizon and waited, cousin leaning against cousin.

* * *

 **And that's a wrap on 'Cousin to Cousin'. Thank you SO MUCH for reading, reviewing, faving, or following! Your feedback means the world to me.**

 **I think I might put up a poll for what you guys want the next one-shot to be. Like, a father/son one, Hicctooth, Hiccstrid, etc... so, yeah. Let me know!**

 **See ya!**


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